My Guardian Angel
by Shadowhawk279
Summary: The night Pony and Johnny went to the park, the Socs all ran just before Pony died. Johnny never had to stab Bob, but they hav no idea why the Socs left. What, or who, was it that saved Ponyboy's life? Why is Pony so haunted by the memory of that night? Pony's POV
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The clock on the wall wouldn't shut up. Every single time it ticked, it was a different sound. Sometimes it was Two-Bit, flicking out his switchblade and then closing it again. Other times it was Dally's heartbeat, strong and steady. Or it would be Johnny's teeth chattering, as he slept out in the lot in the late fall weather. I knew that none of them were really there; it was just me and Soda. I couldn't sleep, I had too much on my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about mom and dad, or about the day before. It haunted me and it was on my mind all the time, but nobody knew it had affected me that much.

I sighed and slid out from underneath Soda's arm, wincing as my bare feet touched the cold floor. I glanced back at my brother and smiled slightly, watching his chest move up and down as he slept. He was lucky he was able to be carefree. Sometimes I wished I could be more like him and not worry about anything, but I think too much. I can't help it. I grabbed my jacket and slung it on, not caring what my hair looked like. It was around 4 in the morning, and nobody would be out. Except for me.

I opened the front door silently and stepped outside, pulling out a cigarette the second I was out of the house. The October breeze caused me to shiver as I trudged down to the lot, hoping to see my best friend, Johnny Cade. Sure enough, he was laying underneath a tree, staring up at the sky. He jumped slightly when I approached him, but relaxed when he saw it was just me. "Hey Pony, what are you doing out this late?" he questions, concern flashing in his dark eyes.

"Just couldn't sleep, you know." I say, and he knows the reason why. He doesn't even have to ask, he knows me too well. I remember it was just last night we were out here, laying together and talking. That might have been the most I had ever heard him talk, Johnny doesn't usually say much. You can see everything in his eyes, though. If you look closely its all there, and that's how we understand each other. I stayed standing up, leaning against the tree. I can't fall asleep. I can't fall asleep like I did last night.

I suddenly look over at Johnny, he's sitting up now, resting on his elbows and looking at me. "How did you do it?" I ask him suddenly.

"Huh?" he cocks his head, obviously confused.

"How the hell did you make all those Socs quit drowning me without hurting one of them?" I ask, quivering at the recent memory.

"I don't know Ponyboy I just… they just all went away suddenly. I felt someone watching me, but I turned around and nobody was there." He shrugged and stared at me, waiting for a response. I just sighed and slumped down, holding my head in my hands. I can feel his nervous gaze resting on me, and a few minutes later I stand up.

"I gotta head home, I can't fall asleep here two nights in a row. I'll see ya later Johnnycakes, are you sure you don't wanna come back to the house to sleep?" I turn back and look at him carefully. In response he gives me a small smile and shakes his head, his shaggy bangs falling over his eyes. I just shrug in response, and turn back towards home, kicking a rock as I go.

I arrive back at my house a few minutes later, but freeze when I see the bathroom light on. I know Darry will kill me if he knows I went out at this hour, especially after what all happened last night. He was really angry at me when I first came back from falling asleep in the lot, but after I went out for a few hours and almost drowned he cut me some slack. I know he's still pretty mad though. I shut the door silently and move to the kitchen, deciding if it is Darry I'll just say I was getting a drink of water or something.

I hear the sound of water coming from the bathroom, and my mind takes me back to last night. The laughing of the Socs, the water filling my mouth and nose, the feelings of desperation. I close my eyes and lean against the refrigerator, taking deep breaths. I hear a Soc laugh in my ear, and the next thing I know I'm on the floor with Darry and Soda looking down at me.

**Thank you for reading, reviews are lovely 3 if people like it I will write a new chapter soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I realize after a few seconds that Darry is trying to say something to me.

"Ponyboy! Pony! What the hell happened?" he stares down at me, a mixture of concern and anger in his blue-green eyes.

"I-I don't know I was just getting a drink and…" I trail off, knowing I can't let them know this has been affecting me. "I slipped, that's all." I finish quietly, avoiding my oldest brother's gaze.

He shakes his head and sighs, helping me get back on my feet. I'm pretty sure he believes me, but I can tell Soda knows something isn't right with me. "Pony, you know that Soda and I have work in the morning, and you have school. So please go to bed so we can get some sleep, okay?" Darry looks at me sharply. "You know I barely slept last night because of the… incident," I wince when he talks about it, "so I really need to sleep tonight." He finishes, and looks back and forth between me and Soda.

I know he's silently asking Soda to watch over me, and I almost tell him I can take care of myself. But he has already trudged out of the room, and Soda puts a hand on my shoulder and leads me back to the room we share.

"Try and get some sleep, alright Pony?" he says, smiling sympathetically. He knows I have nightmares, but he doesn't know what they are about. I never tell anyone that, not even Johnny. He yawns and lays down, and his eyes are already closed by the time I slide into bed next to him. I smile slightly as he slings his arm over me, pulling me close to him. I feel so safe with him holding me, and I almost think about falling asleep. But I know I can't, because Soda can't protect me from my dreams.

I hear his breathing get heavier and slower, and I start to wonder what he dreams about. Maybe he dreams about when he and Steve were little kids, back when they first met in grade school. Or he might dream about girls, I know he's always thinkin' about 'em. Especially Sandy. He loves her with all his heart, I can tell just by the way his eyes light up when he sees her. I know for sure that Soda doesn't have nightmares though. I can tell by the way he always smiles in his sleep, the same reckless grin that's always plastered to his face in the daytime.

I think about Soda until the sun has risen, and then I gently lift up his arm and get out of bed so I can get ready for school. I stretch for a minute and dig around in my closet, throwing on a dark grey shirt and some jeans. I go ahead and slip on my jacket, our house is cold most of the time because we don't have much money to pay for heating.

Since I'm up so early, I decide that there will be enough time for me to make pancakes for my brothers. Maybe Darry won't be so upset, knowing he won't have to make breakfast. I gently crack open the eggs and add the other ingredients, stirring the mixture in a large bowl. I can see my mom doing the exact same thing, her crystal blue eyes glistening as she smiles fondly at my father. I squeeze my eyes shut at the memory, shaking my head to try and get rid of it. I know the more I think about my parents, the worse my nightmares get.

I use half the mixture for the first batch, pouring three large circles onto the frying pan. I smile as the scent slowly begins to waft through the house, and a few minutes later I flip them so the other side can be cooked. I get out three plates and glasses, setting the table for my brothers and I.

I gently pick up the first three pancakes, laying down one on each plate, and I pour the second half of the mixture into the pan. I notice how smooth it flows, just like the water spouting from the fountain in the park.

_ 'Don't think about it… don't think about it!' _I think to myself, but it's no use. I feel the icy water rushing over my skin, my wet hair plastered to my face.

I don't remember dropping the bowl. I do remember watching Darry and Soda rush in, staring at me. Darry looking angry, Soda concerned.

**Thank you all so much for the reviews on chapter 1! I will try and update this every chance I get.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I bite my lip nervously as my brothers run over next to me.

"Ponyboy? What happened?" Soda asks me, looking down. I follow his gaze and see the bowl, a large crack right down the middle. The leftover batter is all over the floor and counter, and I look back up at Soda and Darry.

"I'm sor-" I start, but Darry cuts me off suddenly.

"Ponyboy, that was one of mom and dad's wedding gifts." He growls through clenched teeth, glaring at me. "How the hell did you break it?! And why were you even using it in the first pla-" he stops suddenly and sniffs the air, then looks down to the pan. I see smoke rising up, and with all the commotion I realize that I had forgotten to flip the pancakes. I move over to take them off the stove, but Darry elbows me out of the way. "No." he says. "Let me do it." He sighs and tosses the three burnt pancakes in the trashcan, then wheels around to face me and Soda.

"Darry, you know Pony didn't mean to…" Soda starts, trying his best to defend me.

"Yeah? Another accident. Well how many mistakes is he gonna make before its something serious?! What about the other night Soda? You think it's okay for our baby brother to just fall asleep in the lot where he could be jumped by some Socs?!" Darry rants, stepping closer to Soda with every sentence. Soda's mouth drops and he shakes his head, speechless for once.

I start shaking nervously as I think about falling asleep in the lot, just a few hours before the park. Soda notices too, and I dig my fingernails into my palms. Now Soda's gonna think I'm a wimp. I can't help it though, every time I think about that night I feel like my throat is closing up.

"Darry!" Soda bursts out suddenly, interrupting our older brother. "Your scaring him, can't you see that!" he stands in front of me protectively. I look back and forth between the two of them.

"I'm not scared okay Soda?! I can fight my own fights. I don't need you always defending me." I step out from behind Soda and notice the hurt look in his eyes. "I'm sorry So…" I say quietly. "I just don't want people thinking I'm weak.." I look down at my shoes.

"No I get it. I'm gonna go to work now, I'll see you after school okay?" he says, and turns away. Darry gives me one last hard stare and starts to follow.

"Wait!" I say suddenly. "I made breakfast…"

"Well, it's too late for that. I'm not hungry anyway." Darry mutters as he walks out the door. Soda treads behind, a little more reluctant as he leaves the house. I sigh as they go, and then stare at the three plates, the first batch of pancakes I made that weren't burnt.

'_It was supposed to be a perfect morning, but you just had to go ruin it, didn't you?' _the voice in my head whispers. '_you know your brothers hate you… face it.'_ It hisses, and I shake my head, trying to make it go away. I hate the voice. It comes at the worst times, and I can't make it go away. Finally it stops though, and I finish getting ready for school.

I walk out of the house and find Johnny waiting outside the fence surrounding our house, just like he always is. He smiles when he sees me, and I force one back. He knows something is up, but he won't ask about it until I bring it up.

"Hey Johnny," I say when I reach him, and he nods in return. we both trudge down the street, our heads down low and our shoulders slouched. It's what greasers do. I notice that a car is trailing us, and I speed up without bothering to look up.

"Well if it isn't those two greasers…" I hear a voice crow suddenly, and my eyes widen in fear as I turn around. To my relief I see Two-Bit leaning out the passenger seat, grinning at us. Steve rolls his eyes from the drivers seat, obviously not wanting to stop and talk to me and Johnny. Two-Bit smirks and reaches back, opening the door to the backseat. "C'mon, hop in! We'll take you to school!" he says excitedly, like it's a big deal. Steve starts muttering something about tagalongs, but I ignore him and climb in next to Johnny.

Johnny, Steve and I all ride in silence, laughing occasionally as Two-Bit cracks jokes. Finally Steve pulls up to the school and stops the car, sliding out. "Thanks for the ride!" I call over my shoulder as I watch the two older greasers go, and then turn to follow Johnny into the school.

**Thank you for the reviews! They mean so much to me! The more reviews I get, the faster I update 3 **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was my first day back at school since the incident in the park, and all the Socs seemed to be giving me menacing looks as I slunk down the halls. I tried my best to stay out of their way, but it was hard since my classes consisted mainly of the rich kids. I dropped my gaze immediately when I turned the corner and Bob was there, along with a couple of others kids who had tried to drown me.

"Hey grease, did you have a nice bath the other night?" Bob laughed, and I just kept my head down and walked past him. Seeing him made me think of that horrid gleam in his eye as he held my head under the water, and my heartbeat sped up. Suddenly I was yanked back by my collar. "I asked you a question.." he growled, and I could smell his aftershave, just like the other night.

"Get away from him!" somebody said suddenly, and to my surprise I looked up to see none other than Cherry Valence. She stormed down the hall towards us. "Bob, c'mon, we need to go to class." She said quietly, and I realized that she was trying to make it sound like she wasn't helping me. Reluctantly Bob shoved me away, and I scurried off to my next class. I spent the rest of the school day in fear, always glancing over my shoulder for Socs who were in the park that night.

I was so relieved to be out of the school building that I didn't even wait for Steve and Two-Bit and Johnny, I just ran home. The track season had just ended, but I still wanted to stay in shape for the spring. As I turned the corner and saw my home, I realized that I would be getting there a little earlier than usual. I didn't think anything of it though, until I saw that Darry's car was already parked in the driveway. Typically he didn't get home until much later, so I started to get a little worried.

I stepped up to our house and stood outside the screen door, listening to make sure things were okay. I heard two voices, and immediately knew it was my brothers.

"Dar', I know you're only trying to protect him, but I feel like the more you yell at him the worse he gets!" I knew that voice was Soda.

"Yeah, well he can't keep messing up like this."

"You can't be so harsh on him though!"

"It's the only way he's ever gonna learn, and you know how tight we are on money.." I hear Darry protest. Finally I can't take it anymore and I step inside, looking at the two of them before slinging my backpack on the floor and going to my room.

"Ponyboy?" I hear Soda call, and when I don't answer he opens the door and comes in, sitting next to me. "Listen, the only reason Darry and I are being so hard on you is just…" I know he's struggling for the right words. "We want to make sure you don't get hurt. We care about you a lot, and Dar' just gets too worried sometimes." I don't say anything, I just fake a smile and nod at him. He can see right through me, but he doesn't say anything.

A minute later Darry hollers at me to do my homework and Sodapop to help with dinner, so I grab my bag and take it to my desk, sitting down and working quietly until dinner time.

**Thank you all so much for reading and following this story, it means so much to me! I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update as much as I would like to, my mom doesn't like me being on the laptop much. I will update every opportunity I get though! Reviews are always appreciated 3**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

I finish my homework a little bit later and I can smell dinner, so I stand up and walk into the kitchen. To my relief Darry doesn't look too mad, and I set the table without being asked. A minute later Soda takes the food out of the oven and I smile, it's some kind of casserole. It looks pretty fancy, and I lick my lips as the scent reaches my nose.

"What is this?" I ask Darry, and he looks up at me as he sits down.

"Chicken casserole." He responds with a smile, and heaps a large portion onto his plate. I smile as Soda takes the same amount that Darry does, and realize how we all eat like pigs. I try to take a modest portion, but end up getting a lot more than I planned. I stare at the food for a minute, and it looks fabulous. Suddenly I hear a voice.

"Pony?" I jerk my head up, and Soda is smiling at me. "Did you hear what Darry said?" he asks me. I shake my head and look up at Darry, expecting him to yell at me for not listening. Instead, he smiles and calmly repeats himself.

"I was gonna tell you, those pancakes were really good. I had one when I got home, I didn't want them to go to waste." He says as he takes a huge bite.

"Thanks Dar'.." I say with a small smile as I try to hide my excitement. He returns the smile and we all finish dinner in a peaceful silence. I stand up and start picking up dishes, when the front door bangs open. I look up to see Dally standing there, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Aww, ya didn't save me any dinner Pone?" he laughs and slaps the back of my head, and I stumble over to the sink and plop the dishes down. He swaggers over to the couch and plops down, Soda follows him.

"Hey Darry?" Soda calls out, and Darry looks up. "I'm gonna go out for a little tonight with Dal', is that okay?" he asks, and Darry looks kinda mad.

"I guess so, but be home by 10. You have to work tomorrow." He says, and Soda nods and grins.

"Can I go with them?" I question Darry, and he sighs.

"I guess so.. but stay with them and come home soon. Your homework is done right?" he asks, and I nod quickly. Dally stands up and walks out the door, and Soda and I slip on our shoes and rush out after him. When we've walked a little bit Dally whirls around to face me.

"Now listen up kid, Soda and I are going to try and find some girls. You better not get in the way, alright?" he asks, and I nod quickly. He's starting to sound more and more like Steve, I swear. I follow them down the street and after a few minutes we get to a small bar. I can see dull lights and lots of teenagers inside playing pool and making out, and I glance up at Soda. He's running a hand through his hair and looking at himself in the window, and Dally steps inside.

"Hey hey hey! If it isn't my favorite greasers!" I look up to see Tim Shepard and two other guys swagger over to us. They start talking to Dally and a second later they all walk off, leaving me standing awkwardly in the middle of the room with Soda. I see some girls shooting him looks and staring, and he looks between them and me.

"Go ahead So, I think I might just head home." I smile and gesture to the girls.

"Are you sure? I can go with you if you want…" he says, but I shake my head.

"No! Go have some fun!" I say, and then laugh as he saunters over to the girls and starts talking to a few. I wish I could be that good with girls. I turn and slip outside quickly, glad to be free of the cramped, smoky bar. I reach into my pocket, looking for a cigarette, but I don't find one. I start off down the street, kicking a rock, when I hear something behind me. I turn and see a tall figure, but I don't think too much of it. I speed up my pace and turn onto my street, seeing Johnny's house at the end of the road. I'm only a few houses away from mine, when I hear the footsteps again, much closer. I turn around and see a fist come flying at my face, and everything starts spinning as I slump to the ground. The person slides a bag over my head, and that's the last thing I remember before blacking out.

**I am SOOO sorry that I haven't updated in so long! I went to the beach and thought there was gonna be wifi but there wasn't… I apologize you guys! I will try to update a lot more. Thank you for all the lovely reviews!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright again I apologize that it's been a long time since I've updated, school started and I've been busy with some school work. But I think from now on I'm gonna try to update once a week, every Friday maybe? Thank you so much for sticking with this story, and again I'm so sorry for short chapters and long updates . hopefully I can reverse that soon. **

I wasn't sure what time it was when I finally woke up, but the first thing I noticed was that I had a pounding headache. I stayed on the ground for awhile, just not moving, but I knew I would have to open my eyes soon enough. I looked around and to my surprise I was in the park by my house, where the Socs had jumped Johnny and I. A second later I staggered to my feet and allowed my body to adjust, then took a shaky step. When I was sure I wasn't going to fall back down, I started walking slowly back to my house. I stumbled down the street and it took about fifteen minutes longer than usual, but I finally made it home.

I cracked open the door and looked at the clock; it was 3:48 am. I sighed and slid through the door, the house was dark. I didn't care how much trouble I was going to be in, I just wanted to sleep. I carefully close the door and walk to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. I turn on the lights and that's when I saw the figure on the couch. I almost dropped my cup, but I realized it was just Steve, asleep.

"S-Steve?" I called quietly, and he sat up almost immediately, turning to stare at me for a second. He jumped off the couch and glared at me.

"Where have you BEEN Ponyboy?!" He yelled, staring me down. "The entire gang has been out all night looking for you, hell even a few from Shepard's gang have been looking!" He waited for an answer.

"I was..I can't remember." I said truthfully, looking between him and my shoes. He stepped forward.

"What do you mean you can't remember?!" he nagged, and I just shrugged. He grabbed my shoulders. "Look, just go to bed. Please. I'll go get the rest of the gang and tell 'em you're back, don't go running off again." He commanded. I nodded and watched him dash out the front door, then I turned and tiredly made my way down the hall to my bedroom. I sighed and glanced at myself in the mirror before throwing off my shirt and climbing into bed, turning out the light quickly so my headache would disappear.

I decided to pretend to be asleep so I could hear what they would have to say about me, without them knowing. People always said more about you when you weren't around. Just as my eyes were starting to close I heard six distinct voices mumbling as they walked inside. I recognized Dally speak first.

"Hey where is that little shit anyway? I wanna beat his ass for keeping us out all night."

"No Dal, just give him a break you guys!" I heard Soda protest.

"Yeah man, let Pony get some rest at least.." I smiled to myself as I heard quiet old Johnny stand up to Dally to defend me. I heard a loud sigh that I knew was Darry's.

"Look, everyone just go home and get some sleep. I'll deal with him in the morning." I bit my lip in fear, unsure of what exactly he would say.

"G'night ya'll!" I heard Two-Bit call, and then the door banged shut. I heard Soda and Steve exchange quick farewells, and then he was gone too. A moment later Dally and Johnny had left, and my brothers began talking in low voices I couldn't quite hear. I stood up and crept over to the door, pressing my ear against it and immediately hearing Soda's warm voice.

"Please don't be too hard on him in the morning.. anything could have happened and Steve said he looked pretty shaken up!"

"I wasn't going to So, I was just gonna ask him what had happened. Don't worry. He may get into trouble and not think a lot, but he's still my kid brother." I smiled a little and crept back to bed, as I heard them both laugh slightly, followed by Soda's footsteps. I closed my eyes and was already half asleep when he climbed into bed next to me. I barely remembered him whispering goodnight in my ear and wrapping one arm around me, pulling me to his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up to find Soda propped up on his elbow, staring down at me. "Morning Pony, how did you sleep?" he asked cautiously. I could tell by his tone that he was dying to know about last night, but didn't want to be rude and ask right away.

"Fine, and I know that you want to know what happened last night and so does everyone else, but none of ya'll are gonna believe me." I mumbled, looking away from him. I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Listen Pone, I promise I won't laugh at you. You can tell me." He smiled, as he started to get dressed.

"Well you know that I went home and left the party, and I was just walking down the street when I thought someone was following me. I turned around and saw a person but didn't think much of it, but then I kept walking and they were closer. Then suddenly I turned around again and the guy punched me in the face, and then I blacked out. I think he was gonna kidnap me or something I don't know, but when I woke up I was in the same place and he was gone!" I finished, looking up at my brother to see his reaction. To my surprise his face was ridden with anger, and he grabbed my hand, pulling me into the kitchen.

"Darry!" he yelled, sitting me down at the table. Darry walked in and my eyes flickered between the two of them in fear. "Darry do you want to know why our little brother didn't come home until very late?" He whispered through gritted teeth. For a second Darry almost looked scared as he nodded silently, Soda was rarely this angry." He was gonna get jumped! Or kidnapped!" Soda burst out, slamming his fist down on the table.

Darry whirled around to face me. "Pony is this true?!" he asked, and I nodded as I sighed with relief at the fact Soda wasn't mad at me. "How dare they…" I heard him mutter and he glanced over at Soda.

"It's not a big deal! I've gotten jumped before.." I said quietly.

"But not almost kidnapped!" Soda countered, staring out the window and slowly calming down. I shrugged.

"You don't know that… It could have just been a prank," I said, and both of them sighed at the same time.

"Pone, people don't just play pranks like that. You're lucky that you're sitting here in our kitchen, and you should be very thankful for whatever made that person leave." Darry said. "Now, lets go ahead and get you to school, c'mon I bet Johnny's waiting!" I could tell he was trying to act cheerful, but underneath he was really stressed and worried. I nodded and changed quickly without eating any breakfast, pondering what he had said. My thoughts flashed back to a few nights ago when Johnny and I had gotten jumped, and something had made all the Socs run off. It made me wonder what it was, and why I had been saved again. Could it have been the same thing that saved me last night?

I could barely concentrate at school, I couldn't think straight about anything. Finally the day was over though, and I almost forgot to wait for Johnny on the way home. I stopped outside of the school and waited for him, and finally he rounded the corner and I jumped up. "Hi Johnny.. how was school?" I asked, and he just shrugged.

"It was alright. Nothing good or bad, just a normal day." He responded quietly, and I knew that was just about all I was going to get out of him. We walked back home in silence, but it was a peaceful silence. It was something normal for us.

"You wanna come in?" I asked him when we arrived at my house.

"Naw, I don't want Darry getting upset, I know he likes you to get your homework done." He turned around as he said this and shrugged his jean jacket onto his shoulders.

"Alright, well I'll see you later!" I called, then turned and went inside. The house was still empty, but I didn't mind. I decided that I would try and make myself useful for once, so I sat down and began my homework. I tried to be as neat as possible, and finally finished. I laid it out on the coffee table for Darry to check when he got home, and then opened up the pantry to see what we had. I pulled out some soup, it was pretty hard to screw that up. I glanced at the clock and saw that both of them would be home in the next half hour, so I went ahead and put the soup on the stove.

While it was cooking I set the table and sat down to wait for them, smiling at the feeling of being productive. I heard the front door open a minute later, and looked up, expecting to see Darry or Soda. I was surprised to see that it was Dally.

"Hey Pony," was all he said, and stretched out across the couch. I glanced across the room at him, wondering if I should ask if he needed help or something. He typically only came here after a fight or if he wanted some food, but I knew it would be stupid to ask if he didn't need anything.

"Uhm.. do you need anything Dal?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"Why the fuck would I need anything? The only thing I need is sleep, so you better shut your damn mouth since you're the reason I was up all night." He spat, and rolled over, shutting his eyes. I just sighed and rolled my eyes, knowing he could be harsh at times. It wasn't anything new. I just stood up and walked to the kitchen, pouring the soup into three bowls, not bothering to make one for Dally. A few minutes later the door opened, and I looked up, sure it was my brothers this time. I couldn't have been more wrong.


	8. Chapter 8

I looked up to see a gang of Socs grinning in the doorway. From what I could tell there was four of them, but I couldn't see behind the leader. This was going way too far, and they knew it too. Not only were they in the heart of greaser territory, but they had actually come inside my house! I jumped up and tried not to let my voice shake, trying to remember their faces. "What are you all doing here?" I asked, trying to sound unafraid. The one in front stepped towards me.

"What do you think? We're doing here? We couldn't just let you get away from us, especially not twice." The other three snickered as they filed into my house.

"My-my brothers will be here any second!" I said frantically, stepping back. Something clicked and I realized that these had to be the ones who had tried to drown me, except they all looked different. All except for one of them, the one in the back. He was the only one that had been there the first night, and I knew he was probably the one who had tried to kidnap me on the street. Bob and Randy and all the others weren't there, just him and the other three new guys.

"Listen kid, when your brothers get here nobody is gonna be home." The tall one with dark hair snarled, and one suddenly slapped his arm.

"T-Tommy look.." the one who spoke was short and stout, and pointing at the couch. I followed his quivering finger and saw Dally laying there, snoring softly, and a flood of hope rushed through my body. Dally could fight these guys, at least until Darry or Soda got home. The one who had been at the fountain was already running out the door, and the other two looked up at the leader, most likely waiting for him to make a decision. He stepped forward and sighed, shooting one last look at Dally.

"You better not breathe a word of this to anyone, and be glad that we're letting you go this time. If you tell anyone about this you're really gonna get it." The leader said, jumping forward and holding a knife up to my chin. I nodded rapidly, glancing into his eyes. They were a cold, hard blue. Not like Darry's, there was a certain glint in them. I tried my best to remember them. Then Dally twitched in his sleep and the three of them quickly ran out the door before they could get caught.

I stared after them in a dazed state, barely registering what had happened. I couldn't believe it, I knew who it was that had been harassing me. But was it really that bad what they had been doing? I mean I knew it wasn't right, but it wasn't enough that I should tell Darry. He would just spend all night worrying about it and get more and more stressed and that just meant more trouble for me. I decided that I would just ignore the Socs, they probably wouldn't come after me again. I knew I was probably wrong, but for now I would try to believe myself.

Later I heard a car pull into the driveway and knew that it was Darry's, and I heard two doors slam. That meant he had picked up Soda from work. I tried my best to put on a cheerful and welcoming grin, and watched them walk in.

"Hey Pony!" Soda greeted me, looking over at Dally. "He okay?" he asked in a quieter voice and I just nodded, not trusting myself to speak yet. A second later Darry noticed the dinner on the table and gave me an approving nod, and the three of us sat down to eat. I laughed a little as I watched both of my brothers dig in, and tried my best to force my own food down. I ended up dumping most of it down the sink when they weren't looking.

"Have you done your homework yet?" Darry asked.

"Mhmmm, it's on the table for you to check," I gestured to the coffee table and Darry smiled a little, trying to keep all signs of fear off of my face. I just hoped my brothers wouldn't notice anything was wrong with me, I was already shaken up enough without them yelling at me trying to make me say what happened. I sighed and announced I was going to bed, but I didn't sleep for most of the night.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day was a Saturday, so I didn't have to get up early. I did anyway though, despite my lack of sleep I just couldn't seem to drift off. At 8:30 I decided it was no use trying, so I rolled out of bed and took a quick look out the window to make sure there were no fancy Soc cars around or anything. Once I was satisfied I was safe, I turned my attention to Dally, who was still on the couch asleep. I decided that I should wake him up and asked him if he wanted breakfast, so I gently shook his arm.

"Dal? Dally?" I whisper-yelled, and his eyes flashed open.

"What the fuck do you want kid.. for once I finally get the chance to sleep and you just gotta interrupt it dontcha?" he sighs and stands up, towering over me. I can tell he's resisting the urge to yawn, because to him yawning is a sign of weakness and he refuses to show weakness.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted breakfast.. that's all." I replied, glancing into his emotionless blue eyes.

"Well of course I do! Why the hell would I be here if I didn't want breakfast?" he said loudly, and I took a deep breath, hoping he didn't wake up my brothers. I opened my mouth to argue, but instead just nodded and walked off to the kitchen, cracking 10 eggs into a large pan to make scrambled eggs for everyone. I had already decided I was going to keep myself busy today to keep my mind off of the most recent encounter with the Socs. I normally wouldn't make this many eggs but hey, Dally was here and I was feeling pretty hungry, and I knew my brothers always ate like pigs. We were growing boys after all, and Steve or Two-Bit would most likely show up and hog half the food.

A few minutes later I had the table set and everything was finished cooking, and almost on cue I heard Soda stumble down the hall. "Eggs!" he screeched excitedly, sitting down and shoving the food onto his plate. I laughed a little and Dally walked in behind him, taking almost as much as Soda had. I took a little less than half of what was left and sat down, gulping down the burning hot eggs.

"So how did y'all sleep?" Soda asked, looking at both of us. Dally spoke up first.

"I would still be asleep if it wasn't for this little shit here waking me up.."

"If I hadn't woken you up you wouldn't be getting breakfast!" I protested, and he just snorted and pushed back his chair.

"I'm going to go see Johnny. Ponyboy, you should come too." I looked up at him, surprised. He had seemed pretty annoyed with me a second ago, but I guess that's just how he always is. I shrugged and quickly finished breakfast, standing up, and Soda raised an eyebrow at me.

"You want me to come with you guys?" he asked, and Dally and I just shook our heads. It seemed like Dally had something to tell me, so I didn't want Soda to come and ruin my chances of talking to him. The two of us headed out the door and walked down the street in an awkward silence, and I struggled to think of something to break it.

"So… where are we going exactly?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Keep your mouth shut kid, you'll see.." he mumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets and walking faster. I sighed and followed him. After what seemed like forever, we got to what I recognized to be Buck's place.

"I thought we were going to see Johnny though…" I said as he led me inside and upstairs quickly. He stayed quiet for a second and stood outside of a door near the end of the hall.

"We are." He said, and pushed open the door. I couldn't believe what I saw.

**Hey guys I'm sorry this is a few days late, but to make it up to you I'm gonna post another chapter today or tomorrow. Thanks so much for reading this, it means a lot!**


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